The Beacon
Newsletter
February 2, 2024 Volume 66, No 05
This SUNDAY: February 4, 2024
Theme: What we fling into the sea
Moses and Miriam lead the people in singing, dancing and rejoicing. We want to celebrate liberation with them! Yet…this delight in the Egyptian riders (and even the innocent horses!) flung into the sea…is that a song you want to sing along to? Is it a privilege not to be vengeful? If you have truly been oppressed, is vengeance Divine?
To prepare, please read: Micah 6:8, Luke 7 27-28, Matthew 5:9 and Exodus 15:1-5, 12-13, and 19-21.
Pastor Anna Lisa Gross
Sunday, February 4
9:30 a.m. Meet & Eat
10:30 a.m. Worship
11:30 a.m. ReFresh Council Meeting
Monday, February 5
Office Open 8:00 a.m.-1 p.m.
Tuesday, February 6
Office Closed
Wednesday, February 7
9:30-11:30 a.m. Food Bank
11:30 a.m. Worship Preview meeting
8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Office Open
Thursday, February 8
Office Closed
6:30 p.m. Choir Rehearsal
Friday, February 9
9:00-2:00 p.m. Office Open
Saturday, February 10
Sunday, February 11
9:30 a.m. Meet & Eat
10:30 a.m. Worship
11:45 a.m. All About Beacon Heights
Remember to check the Breeze calendar for upcoming events and activities!
Worship on 1/21/2023:
In-person attendance 65
Offering 1/14 $39,238.00
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Food Bank on 1/31/2024:
Individuals served: 55
Families served: 22
***Pastor Anna Lisa will be away February 6th through the 15th.
A note from the financial secretary:
Thank you to all who so generously physically and financially support our ministries.
Year End giving statements were emailed this week. If you did not receive your statement or have questions about your giving, please contact Barb Trout at bmtrout1@gmail.com
What Does it Look Life for Pastor Anna Lisa to be 1/3 Time?
Staff Relations shares these expectations hoping that the congregation will feel like they can collaborate and connect with Anna Lisa, and that she can be supported to work a reasonable amount.
Beginning this year, Pastor Anna Lisa is working 1/3 time, which is about 14 hours per week. Anna Lisa continues to share the preaching and worship equally with Pastor Paula, which means that the largest portion of Anna Lisa's work is focused on preaching and sermons. We look forward to having Anna Lisa with us on Sundays at least 2 or 3 times a month.
Anna Lisa's other work includes Witness, outreach and social media, as well as supporting the administration, pastoral care and congregational life that Pastor Paula has a primary role in.
In addition, Anna Lisa will have 1 day a week working in the office (for a total of no more than 2 days onsite per week, ideally). Given that we have meetings and activities any and all days of the week, depending on the week, Anna Lisa's day onsite will change week-to-week, but will be listed in the Beacon and bulletin calendars for you to see.
Please schedule time to see her in person on those days if you'd like - she wants to be in-person when possible. And reach out to her other ways as well. At this point, Anna Lisa doesn't have a regular "day off" because that's too strange to figure out in a 1/3 time job.
We'll learn as we go.
Please talk with a member of staff or Staff Relations if you have questions, concerns or suggestions. Connie McGowin (chair), Carla Kilgore, Kathi Saffer, Linda Wolf, Sean Baker, Dave Wysong
All About Beacon Heights
If you are interested in learning more about our congregation or becoming a member, you are invited to join Pastor Paula and others to talk about who we are, what we do, and what we find most meaningful about being part of this community. We will meet on February 11th from about 11:45 to 1, and a light lunch will be provided. Please speak with Pastor Paula if you have questions, or to let her know that you will be able to come (but even if you decide at the last minute,
that's okay, too!).
Meet & Eat
We encourage you to join us as we prepare for Lent season exploring the stories of Peter on February 4th, 11th & 18th -- for three sessions with Joel Kline teaching a Bible Study on Peter.
Mark Your Calendars -- for these upcoming Meet and Eat programs at 9:30 am on Sunday mornings:
March 3rd & 10th & 17th & 24th -- four sessions with Dan Ulrich teaching and leading a discussion on the book entitled, Fight Like Jesus.
Lenten Bulletins
An important part of the Easter story is the Road to Emmaus, in Luke, when people walked and talked with Jesus and recognized the living Christ standing, striding alongside, or pausing to share supper across the table. This devotional shares stories of God’s presence in everyday people along the journey. It invites you to identify God’s presence in the people you meet along your own journey. Enjoy these stories of how Christ’s love and grace is revealed by those who are with us through thick and thin.
If you would like to order a Brethren Press ($5.50) or a printed paper copy Sanctified Art Lenten Devotional (no charge), please let Alexis know by February 4th by email or by signing up on the sign up sheet near the name tags; office@beaconheights.org.
Your chance to support our refugee family!
Aimerance needs rides to and from her English class on Tuesdays and Fridays. It runs from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Class is at 1005 West Rudisill (Door A), on the former campus of Fort Wayne Bible College/Taylor University. You can drive her whenever it works for you. Please contact Kyla Zehr as soon as possible if you are available on any Tuesday or Friday. (Aimerance is very friendly and communicates well with smiles for now. She lives very near the church at 2606 Lynn Avenue). Thank you!
Ladies’ Birthday Luncheon news
All ladies are invited to join the Birthday Luncheon group to celebrate monthly birthdays and enjoy spending time together. Please mark your calendars for the following date.
February 14 at 12:30 p.m. Treat yourself to an elegant Valentine’s Day lunch in a private room at Don Hall’s Gas House, downtown. (If Fort Wayne Community Schools happen to be canceled because of bad weather, we will not meet.)
Please contact Jeanie Lantz (rlantz4215@aol.com) or Mary Whitehead (mary@dmwhitehead.com) by February 12 if you plan to attend.
It would be wonderful to have you join us for the luncheon!
Weekly food bank update
Thank you for all your donations! Currently, the most needed items are broth, rice, and pancake mix. Monetary donations are also appreciated.
Shoppers are needed for February 21st if you would like to sign-up! The sign-up sheet is located on the office countertop.
January 2024 Food Bank Statistics
Open 4 Wednesdays
Families served: 93
Individuals served: 261
Food donations
Beacon Heights: 694 lbs.
Associated Churches: 740 lbs.
Other Churches: 1549 lbs.
In addition, Beacon Heights shoppers spent $1039.59 for 749 lbs.
21 Beacon Heights Food Bank volunteers spent 176 hrs. to keep the Food Bank operating in January
Thank you to all the December 2023 volunteers
Mike Crill, Brenda Galbraith, Ruth Ann Bever, Jeanie Lantz, Sharon Heitz, Jan Lung, Maurie Sperry, Dianne Lung, Mary Whitehead, Dave Wysong, Mark Beck, Lois Guess, Ev Kilgore, Tom Coursen, Susan Harroff, MaryJane Coursen, Rachel Harroff, Kris Bohnstedt -Thorn, Kyla Zehr, Barb Bohnstedt-Thorn, Brian Zehr
save the date!
Nurture has reserved 30 tickets for the TinCaps game on Saturday, June 29. This game also includes fireworks! Put this on your calendar if you have interest and you may let Ruth Ann Bever know if you want your name on the list. The tickets will be $14.00 apiece. Children’s tickets are half price, compliments of Education.
Next SUNDAY: february 11, 2024
Theme: The Divine Gift of Rest
We humans reward the busiest people who work double or triple the hours and impressively accomplish more than anybody else. Some of us feel afraid to slow down in a world that tells us that we’re never enough or that we’ll fall behind everybody else if we do. Others face economic situations that make rest a privilege that some can have but some can’t. Even we peacemakers venerate service so much that we do and do and do! And then there are the many balls we must juggle – because, well, life! We dare not drop one! But could it be that we’re doing violence to our bodies and souls when we fail to receive God’s gift of rest – or to trust God enough to rest? What does it mean to let God lead us to a lush pasture – allowing God to restore our inner person? We’ll look at rest as an action of defiance in a too-busy world, and the way it makes us whole.
To prepare, please read: Psalm 23:1-3.
Pastor Paula Ulrich
Published by Beacon Heights
Church of the Brethren
Editor: Alexis Shoda
Phone: (260) 482-8595
Email: office@beaconheights.net
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